OCPP Guide 96: Managing AC and DC chargers in one panel

Overview

Managing AC and DC chargers in one panel should be evaluated not only as a protocol feature but also in terms of charger compatibility, user experience, metering, remote operations and fault handling. OCPP creates a common language between charging stations and a central management system. Understanding this topic therefore helps operators design predictable workflows instead of relying on vendor-specific behaviour.

How it works

An OCPP charging station normally maintains a WebSocket connection to the CSMS. Requests, responses and errors are correlated with unique message identifiers. Managing AC and DC chargers in one panel belongs to this communication model. In production, an Accepted response should not be treated as final proof of success; the following status, transaction and meter messages must also be checked.

Across OCPP versions

OCPP 1.6J remains widely deployed and many functions use separate messages. OCPP 2.0.1 introduced the Device Model, TransactionEvent and a stronger security architecture. OCPP 2.1 expands energy-management and bidirectional-charging scenarios. A robust CSMS should hide unnecessary version differences from operators while preserving the exact protocol data for diagnostics.

Field considerations

First confirm that the charger really supports the required feature profile. Then check firmware because two units of the same model can behave differently on different releases. Validate clock synchronisation, transaction identifiers, connector or EVSE mapping and measurement units. Define clear timeout, retry and offline rules before enabling automation.

Troubleshooting with logs

Raw OCPP logs are the fastest source of truth. Review connection establishment, BootNotification, status or TransactionEvent flow, command responses and any CALLERROR together. Store timestamps, unique IDs, action names and payloads so the complete event chain can be reconstructed. Sensitive customer or payment information should be masked in production logs.

Security

Use WSS/TLS, authenticate charger identities, rotate credentials and use client certificates where supported. Remote commands from the dashboard should be protected by role-based access control and audit logs. Record who sent each command, when it was sent, which station received it and whether the intended physical result actually occurred.

Performance and scale

A design that works with ten chargers may fail with thousands. Heartbeat, MeterValues and status frequency directly affect database writes, network traffic and real-time dashboards. The CSMS should queue work, prevent conflicting commands and control reconnect storms after network outages.

Operator checklist

Test the feature in a lab; verify it with more than one charger brand; test offline and reconnect behaviour; observe what happens during an active session; compare meter data with billing data; never equate Accepted with completed; map technical errors to user-friendly messages; and retain audit records for every remote action.

Conclusion

Managing AC and DC chargers in one panel requires more than nominal protocol support. A production OCPP platform should manage multiple brands and protocol versions, expose raw messages for diagnostics, provide APIs, track remote commands and report energy accurately. Üreticy OCPP SaaS is designed around this central CSMS approach.

FAQ

In live networks, the same data should feed alarms, SLA reporting, charger availability and remote-maintenance workflows. Operators should model the whole session as a state machine rather than reacting to one message in isolation. This keeps billing and user interfaces consistent when connections drop, chargers reboot or messages arrive late. In live networks, the same data should feed alarms, SLA reporting, charger availability and remote-maintenance workflows. Operators should model the whole session as a state machine rather than reacting to one message in isolation. This keeps billing and user interfaces consistent when connections drop, chargers reboot or messages arrive late.

OCPP Guide 96: Managing AC and DC chargers in one panel — What It Is and How It Works